


Appreciated

by LetoaSai



Series: Seeking Psychic [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety, Bullies, Cloud is such a dad, Guardians - Freeform, M/M, Psychic Abilities, Riku's a charmer, Sora is over powered and tired, Sora wants to be a witch, Squall is a mother hen, but good intentions, learning to use abilities, poor childhood, rescuers in pretty cars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:49:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23077330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetoaSai/pseuds/LetoaSai
Summary: Sora felt better. Knowing he wasn't crazy had done wonders and finding friends that understood him put him at ease. Riku might have been the best boyfriend in the world even if he did try to read Sora's mind.It was Cloud and Squall acting like his parents that was taking some getting used to, but god if he didn't enjoy the attention.
Relationships: Leon (Kingdom Hearts)/Squall Leonhart/Cloud Strife, Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Seeking Psychic [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658509
Comments: 34
Kudos: 126





	Appreciated

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts 
> 
> ...Do all of my Kingdom Hearts one-shots end up a series?... Apparently.

Sora heard the whispers, it wasn’t like he was oblivious to them. Kids had been teasing him and making fun of him since kindergarten. He was always the boy that spaced out and talked to himself. Was the boy that cried on field trips because someone only he could see made him sad or scared him. 

Everyone had whispered about him at one point or another and every new grade he’d gone to had started the rumors anew. Kairi had been the first person to ignore the gossip and hesitantly seek out his company. She’d said his colors had been nice to look at, his aura. They’d both been outcasts that found friendship in the other. 

Only the last month had things turned around. He could sleep. He could turn his mind off when he heard too many voices. He had people in his life who didn’t look at him like he was a freak. He had Riku who put butterflies in his stomach. Since he and Kairi had found Seventh Heaven they’d been happier, hands down. 

Sora walked through the school halls, fiddling with his phone. His car refused to start that morning and he’d ended up carpooling with Kairi. He thought he’d be able to catch a ride home the same way but she’d had a doctors appointment right after school and had left practically right after the final bell rang to catch it. 

Sora had lamented all through lunch about having to ride the bus home. The bus had always been a torturous experience. No one wanted the weird, crazy kid on their bus and they hadn’t kept it a secret. Sora had gone through every kind of bullying imaginable and a good chunk of it had happened on the damn bus. 

He’d been dreading it so much that he’d decided he’d prefer to walk home instead. Kairi had finally gotten fed up with him and pulled her own phone out. 

“Riku said he’ll pick you up.” Kairi smirked. “Said you should have asked him yourself but he looks forward to your shy vibes.” 

“Oh my god.” Sora held his face in his hands. “Can you both not.”

“Nope.” Kairi laughed, she’d laughed a lot more in the last month. She felt better about herself, more confident since understanding a part of herself that had always been a mystery. 

Sora had spent the whole second half of the school day fretting over Riku picking him up. It was the silliest thing given how much time they’d been spending together and _nothing_ would be more mortifying then when Riku actually showed up to watch him in yoga class alongside Kairi. 

This should have been nothing after that, but those damn butterflies… 

“Feeling awfully anxious there, Sora.” 

Sora smiled and glanced down at the little red dragon walking beside him. “Hello Mushu.” Sora smiled, no longer giving a shit who stared at him funny for talking to himself. 

Mushu was a guide, a spirit that could take on any number of forms and as their name would imply, helped guide people towards what they were looking for. Squall had explained that not everyone was aware of them, even psychics. Some got impressions of them nearby and others heard their voices like whispers. Sora saw them as clear as day. 

Mushu might not have been _his_ guide, but he hadn’t learned to connect with his own guide just yet. Sora had been really put out that he could see dozens of guides but none of them were really his. Apparently it took practice.

“Hey Sora.” Mushu said, climbing up Sora’s leg. “What are you thinking so hard about?” 

“Nerves. It’s stupid. I think it’s more of the excited kind of nervous rather than the completely dreading it kind of nervous.” 

Mushu rested on his shoulder and flicked his tail. “And that has your stomach trying to flip inside out, huh? You know what that sounds like to me?” 

“You’re gonna tell me whether i want to hear it or not.” 

“You’re right. Sounds like you’re in love, Sora. Poor boy, you don’t know what you’re getting into.” Mushu snickered. 

Sora groaned, going red while he headed outside. “Shut up. That’s like way too big a deal. I’ve only known him a month.” 

“Yeah, uh huh, okay Sora. What does time have to do with anything? Matters of the heart always win out!” 

“Yeah. Okay. Shut up.” Sora sighed. “That’s jumping to way too many conclusions.”

“He’s talking himself again.” A group of teens close by started laughing at him and Sora just tuned them out. He’d had plenty of practice. 

“Leave the freak alone.” 

The girls were giggling and the guys were throwing Sora smirks. They looked better the more they taunted him. 

“Oh they did not! I’m about to bite someone. Kids these days!” Mushu ranted. “If they could see me i’d scare the tar out of them! 

Sora sighed. “It doesn’t matter. Doesn’t really change anything you know?” 

“It could. Stand up for yourself. You don’t have to take their comments.” 

“Schools out in only a few more days. No big deal.” Sora muttered, wandering out to sit on the curb. 

“You can’t avoid your problems. You gotta stand tall! Be proud!” Mushu threw his little arms up and Sora had to smile.

“I do, i am. That doesn’t mean they’ll understand. They can think i’m crazy. It doesn’t hurt anything.” 

“Sora.” Anastasia called out to him with a snide laugh. “You really need to get your head checked.” 

Sora glanced back at the girl who really, was mean to everyone and not just him. Her sister Drizella was giggling at her side. 

Well, their whole little group was laughing at him. He turned away again and realized Mushu was gone. At least now he wouldn’t have to talk to seemingly nothing. He checked his phone again to see if he had a message from Riku, but it wasn’t like Riku was going to forget about him. 

Sora jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up as Gaston. 

“How about i give you a little advice, Sora. You see all you have to do is stop being yourself. It’s that simple.” 

“Gee, thanks.” Sora deadpanned. “I’ll really take that into consideration, but i sort of like how i am.” He shook Gaston off of him, not just because he didn’t like him touching him, but because of the uneasiness he felt around him. Something negative had attached itself to Gaston. He wasn’t sure what exactly, but it wasn’t pleasant. It could possibly explain why he was always such a dick. 

“Just forget him.” Drizella sniffed haughtily. “You shouldn’t touch him either. You could catch whatever weirdness he has.” 

“Now, now, don’t be mean.” Gaston grinned. “Such things are more hereditary than contagious.” 

“Probably.” Sora agreed, knowing he had a few cousins who would probably benefit from visiting Seventh Heaven. He should have taken it as an insult but he just didn’t care. 

The fact that the meaner teens couldn’t get a rise out of him only had them pushing harder. Kairi had told him before that their aura’s weren’t pretty. They were dull and lacking. Sora didn’t need to know that to know they weren’t good people. Not everyone found redemption and unless something drastic happened, they’d always remain the same. 

“And he admits it.” Anastasia laughs. “It’s a shame you’re crazy when you’re almost good looking, but even looks can’t save a lunatic.” 

“Gosh, my feelings. Whatever will i do.” Sora yawned. He was really looking forward to graduating and getting away from them. Maybe college would be better. 

“Hey.” Gaston snapped. “You don’t talk to her that way.” 

“Sorry.” 

Gaston gripped his shoulder again and shoved Sora so he was facing them. “I don’t think you mean it.” He cracked his knuckles and Sora was almost willing to let the idiot hit him just to get him suspended days before graduation. 

“I really didn’t.” 

The girls gasped in an outrage that Sora didn’t understand. Really, were they the ones offended after all the rude comments and name calling they’d done? 

“Then i’ll just have to force a real one out of you.” Gaston hissed, attention jerking up as a car swung closer and pulled to a stop. 

Riku sat in the drivers seat, the top to his car down leaving his hair wind blown. “Hey babe. Sorry i’m late. I must have hit every red light.”

Sora turned pink and smiled as he hauled himself up. “You don’t always have the luck of the gods.” He didn’t know Riku’s game, but he was sure drawing a lot of attention. Anastasia and the rest of her group had gone quiet, but Riku _was_ far too pretty to look at. 

“Don’t need luck, i got you.” Riku grinned, “Get in.” 

Sora tossed his bag in the back seat but was dragged back again by Gaston. 

“Hey!”

“We weren’t done.” 

“Yes, the fuck you were.” Riku said, leveling Gaston with a hard glare that actually had him backing off. “Don’t touch him again.” 

“Or what?” Gaston snapped. 

Riku smirked. “Or you’ll find out just what kind of a living hell i can make your life. Radiant Garden has a warrant for your arrest, no? Don’t think they realize the bar brawler they are looking for is just a high school student.” 

Gaston’s eyes widened. “How the fuck…?” 

Sora climbed into the passenger seat and shook his head at Riku’s taunts. “Don’t waste your mind space on him.” 

“Believe me, i’m not. I can’t believe you haven’t gotten the local coven to put a curse on assholes like that.” Riku shot Gaston another look when he stepped closer. “Don’t touch my car either.”

“Coven?” Drizella repeated while she eyed Riku shamelessly. 

Riku spared her a glance but dismissed her just as quickly. “Normal people are so boring. You ready, Sora?” 

“Yeah.” Sora smiled, some ridiculous happy feeling in his stomach over having all of Riku’s attention on him instead of some popular classmates. 

Riku nodded, leaning closer to pull Sora into a soft kiss before putting his car back in drive and peeling out of the parking lot. 

“Contacting the local coven for something as pathetic as putting a curse on a bully.” Sora stated, a smile crossing his lips, his earlier nerves forgotten. “No way.” 

Riku laughed. “C’mon, it was funny. They got so freaked out for a second.” He glanced at Sora, looking him up and down as he licked his lips. “You haven’t had a good day because of people like them.” 

“Stop doing readings on me through kisses!” Sora groaned, hiding his face for a moment. “Everything is fine!” 

Riku snorted. “I don’t need to read you to know you’re hiding behind one of your ‘i’m fine’s’. Mushu also just showed up and told me to step on it. So care to explain that one?” 

“Not really.” Sora grumbled. “After next week none of it will matter. I’ve endured thirteen years of their shit. Another few days really won’t matter. I don’t care anymore if they think i’m nuts. I really tried to stop caring by the seventh grade.” 

Riku made a rough, unhappy noise. “I know how you feel. I really do.” he muttered. His abilities weren’t any easier to hide than Sora’s. In his case, it was better to not speak at all or he ran the risk of saying something he shouldn’t have known. 

Riku offered his hand, “No reading. Promise.” 

Sora grunted and laced his fingers with his. “Thanks for picking me up though.” he mumbled. “Really didn’t want to ride the bus.” 

“Any time, babe. I’m sorry your car froze on you this morning.” 

Sora sighed, “Yeah. I guess i’ll spend the weekend trying to figure out what's wrong with it. Though if the answer isn’t 'add antifreeze', i’m out.” 

Riku laughed immediately, the mirth on his face only making him prettier. “Oh my god, you’re adorable.” 

“What?” 

Riku squeezed his hand. “Adorable. Don’t you ever fucking touch your car. Let someone who knows about cars handle it.” 

“I could learn about cars.” Sora pouted, face heating up. “I’ve just spent the last several years tormented by spirits and it wasn’t a priority.” 

“You don’t have to be into cars. You’re allowed to have other interests and be clueless about them.” Riku said, still grinning hard. “Just let someone else deal with yours.” 

“What like you?” Sora was still pouting. Did Riku _have_ to be perfect?

“Eh, not really?” Riku said. “I can change a tire. Change the oil. I could probably change the brakes if i needed to. Other than that, nope. I’ll take it to someone who knows.” 

Sora hummed, feeling a little better that Riku couldn’t do _everything_. “You could take a look if you want.” 

Riku squeezed his hand again. “Nah, i’d prefer to call an expert. In fact, i did.” 

“Did what?” 

“I called an expert to look at your car.” 

“Riku!” Sora inhaled, panic rising. “I can’t afford that!” 

Riku shrugged. “You don’t have to worry about it.” 

“You’re not paying for it either!” 

“Yeah, i’m not.” Riku looked at him, loving to rile Sora up. “Don’t worry about it.” 

“Riku.” Sora sighed loud, lightly thudding his hand against Riku's arm. “What did you do now?” 

He just continued to grin as he drove Sora home. Honestly, what an egotistical dork. Riku was the perfect combination of caring and sweet, vain and mocking, over protective and charming. Sora had been swept off his feet but at least he was aware of it. 

Five more minutes and they were pulling onto Sora’s street, his car parked out in the driveway, the hood popped and the front lifted up. 

“Oh my god, what?” Sora was already trying to look by the time Riku pulled up in front of the house. 

The first hint should have been Cloud and Leon’s gorgeous firebird parked on the street. Still, Sora was surprised to see Cloud under his car. 

“What’s going on?” Sora asked, climbing out of the car and up his driveway. 

“Have you ever changed your oil?” Cloud asked vaguely. 

Riku laughed, appearing at Sora’s side a second later. “I told you, i asked an expert." 

“Oh…” Sora muttered, his face going hot. Cloud had been his teacher since he and Kairi had found the psychic library. He’d taught him to block his mind from outside forces and broke the attachments malicious spirits had on him. He’d been grateful since day one. 

It was somehow more embarrassing to have his teacher work on his car than it was his mind. 

Cloud was smudged with grease but he glanced up at Sora with a smile. “You could have called you know.” 

“I was gonna get it looked at.” Sora said awkwardly. 

“More like Kairi didn’t think to call you.” Riku added, bumping his hips against Sora’s. Sora was never going to hear the end of it that he was too shy to call Riku that morning. 

“Shut up.” Sora grumbled. 

Cloud laughed quietly, ducking his head under the hood again. 

The front door popped open and Squall walked out, stirring a bowl his mother used for cakes. “Hey.” 

“How did you get in my house?” Sora’s brows rose. A normal question that didn’t apply to the three men standing around him, all three of whom laughed. 

“Spare key under the middle step.” Squall smiled but there was something distinctly kind about him. 

Right, they were psychic just like him. Just older and much more practiced. They could probably find anything. 

“You know you never see one without the other.” Riku teased, gesturing from Cloud to Squall. He wandered closer, looking under the hood to see if he could figure out what Cloud was doing. 

“Don’t be jealous, Riku.” Squall said, “It’s not attractive.” 

Riku stuck his tongue out childishly but didn’t disagree. Squall and Cloud had gotten married before they were even of age to do it legally and had been going strong for years. 

“What are you doing?” Sora asked, forgetting his bag in Riku’s car and wandering up to his porch to see what Squall was making. “What’s this?” 

“Perimeter spell for your property. Figured you could use it.” Squall said, showing Sora the mush in the bowl. 

Sora frowned, looking confused, “Didn’t we already do that?” His car was totally forgotten...

Squall shrugged. “We had a shaman banish everything lingering in your house and put up a guard to keep them from returning. This here…” He tapped the bowl. “Is more witchcraft which is not my specialty so double checked with Naminé to make sure it would do the trick.” 

“Okay.” Sora said slowly, following along. He couldn’t imagine ever meeting a nicer witch than Naminé. “What’s in it?” 

“Most of it is white rice soaked in apple cider vinegar.” Squall said. 

Sora’s brows rose, “Really?” 

“Oh yeah.” Squall chuckled. “When you know what you’re doing and have the ability like we do you can draw out their protective draw.” 

“Like how people say salt protects?” Sora asked. 

Squall nodded. “Yeah and it does but vinegar is better.” he tapped the bowl. “There’s salt in here too along with a few drops of tar water. Last is sage, honeysuckle, and lavender that i ground up.” 

“Right…” Sora said, undeniably interested. “What are you doing to do with it?” 

“Not me, you. It’s your house.” Squall smiled faintly. “You're going to finish stirring it with your hands and then we’re going to walk around your house, spreading it out in a circle around your property.” 

Despite how weird it sounded, Sora nodded, eager to try. “And this will keep out spirits?” 

“Malicious ones, yeah. Good ones might drift in and out but they’ll probably stay out anyway. Any residual spirits were already moved on when Reeve came the first time.” 

Squall passed the bowl over to Sora and he did as he was told, dipping his fingers into the mush to stir it. “Where do i start?” 

“That’s up to you.” Squall said, arms crossed as teacher mode took over. “This is your home. Psychically it’s yours. Where do you think it should go? A circle, a square? Hitting certain corners? It’s up to you. Do what you feel is best." 

“Okay…” Sora said, feeling a little silly. Had he not been able to feel just how much power was currently standing in his yard he’d think this was just pretend. As it was, he could feel Squall standing just beside him. His own energy hovering over Sora. 

He once heard Tifa compare Squall and Cloud’s energies to wild animals and he agreed with that wholeheartedly. 

With hardly a thought he started at the side out his house just outside his bedroom. He’d been stirring unconsciously and finally lifted out a handful of rice and mush that didn’t smell as much like vinegar as he’d thought. 

Sora tossed it out, making a line with the mixture, one he could continue without around his entire house. 

“Only light here.” Squall said softly. “Only peace here. No evil may enter. No animosity.” 

Sora walked slowly, tossing the rice mixture out every few feet with Squall repeating the same words until Sora started to say them with him. 

They did it all the way around the house. When they included the driveway, Cloud and Riku spoke with them and it was an odd feeling. Sora had liked to think he could really feel himself doing something but with all four of them speaking, his skin prickled with goose bumps, this was good. It was working. 

“You have quite a bit left there.” Squall noted softly when they were getting back to their starting point.

“I wanted to go around twice.” Sora muttered. “Is that okay?” 

Squall smiled faintly. “Of course it is, if that’s what you feel this place needs, then yes. Go for it.” 

Sora nodded, part of his ego inflating when Squall so easily agreed with Sora’s idea. Both he and Cloud were big on the fact that no one knew Sora’s abilities better then he did himself. He just had to learn to recognize them. They went around the house again, Sora casting out an extra handful of rice by his bedroom window. He’d done it almost unconsciously, but that's how Xemnas had always come in. 

Together he and Squall spoke as they came back around the house. “Only light here. Only peace here.” 

There was only a little left in the bowl and he tossed it around the front stairs, reaffirming that no negativity could get in. 

“Will it hold?” Sora asked, looking up at Squall. 

“Oh yes.” Squall chuckled. “Not bad, Naminé’s going to be impressed.” 

Sora laughed and momentarily wondered if he could add witch to his resume. Squall was teaching Kairi to read tarot cards, maybe Naminé could give him pointers on being a witch. Was that an option? Sounded like fun. Seventh Heaven could be their Hogwarts. 

The thought still had a silly smile on his lips when his mother pulled into the driveway, looking around nervously at all the men loitering. 

She knew Riku, he might have been egotistical but he was polite and had made sure to introduce himself the first time he’d picked Sora up on a date. 

“Sora,” she slung her purse over her shoulder, lips thinning out with concern. “What’s going on here?” 

“My car wouldn’t start this morning. Cloud’s taking a look for me.” Sora said, wondering if he’d need to actually introduce them or if his mom would just slip inside. It was hard to tell with her. 

“I...see,” she said slowly. It was almost like she was trying to figure out if Sora was lying or not but it seemed too elaborate a ruse since Cloud was bent over his car. “And…” She gestured to Sora, the bowl he held, and the fact that his hand was covered in a leftover slime from the mixture. 

“Oh…” Sora blinked. He shifted his gaze from his own hands to his mother and considered what to say. Lying was an option but he’d been telling her the truth for years now. Screaming the truth sometimes. 

“Squall showed me how to protect the house from ghosts getting in so i won’t freak out anymore.” Sora said, deciding that was good enough.

She stared back at him, eyes shifting to all four of them. The fact that Squall didn’t deny it and that all four of them looked oddly fine with what Sora was saying relieved her, and concerned her. “I see.” she repeated. 

“He really is a talented psychic.” Cloud commented, still working on Sora’s car but watching her out of the corner of his eye. 

She drew herself up straighter and Sora sighed. “It’s nothing mom. Everything's fine.” It was a deflection the others caught but his mother just smiled, patting his cheek as she walked past him into the house. 

The lack of affection was odd? Her relief in not wanting those kinds of details, odder still. 

“Ma’am.” Squall said just as she reached the door. “Don’t do that.” 

“Excuse me?” 

Squall stared at her. “Sora was honest with you. Shared something with you. Don’t brush it off.” 

“It’s fine.” Sora said quietly. “I didn’t understand a month ago either.” 

“But now you do. You were educated and you’ve embraced what you’ve learned.” Squall frowned, still looking at Sora’s mother. “Your son is exceptional. You should acknowledge that.” 

There was a staring contest between the two and Riku and Cloud both looked up as if they were expecting something to happen. 

Sora finally sighed. “It’s okay, mom. You can go in.” 

His mother slid him a glance before nodding and heading inside. She didn't want to know.

“It’s okay.” Sora muttered, watching her go. 

“What part?” Squall asked seriously, offended in his place. “What part of that was okay?”

Sora shrugged and heaved a sigh. This was by no means the most stressful part of his life. “She doesn't understand. She doesn’t want to understand. In her mind i’m sick, and it’s not my fault that i’m sick.” he hesitated. “I’m fine with that. Explaining it won’t do any good. She doesn’t want to hear it.” 

“That doesn’t help you any, Sora.” Cloud said, wiping his hand on a towel. “Might even explain why your mind was in such rough shape.”

“She cares, just in her own way.” Sora said, wishing this hadn’t gotten so heavy. He knew he sounded defensive but what else could he say. “She stayed.” 

Riku was at his side in a second, arm thrown over his shoulder. They’d only talked about their families a little but Sora had told him why his dad had left. “I don’t care what you think.” Riku muttered. “Their divorce was not your fault.” 

“Nah, but i certainly added to it. After the whole botched exorcism thing there was too much tension in the house.” Sora shrugged. "That was the last straw." 

“Fucking _excuse me_?” Cloud looked up from the car again, all of his attention on Sora. 

“Back up,” Squall scowled. “What botched exorcism?” 

Sora blinked. “Oh well nothing actually happened.” 

“Don’t care.” Cloud said, voice firm. “What happened?” 

Sora looked between them and realized he’d stumbled into something. “Well, things kept happening around me. This was before Xemnas but all kinds of other spirits were around. My parents started seeing things. Well, dad did. Shadows and stuff. Mom’s never admitted to seeing anything.” 

"Which is common.” Riku said quietly. “The power you gave was attracting so many things. Them picking up on some of it would be normal. Would be weird if they didn’t see things.” 

Squall waved Riku off to make him shut up and gestured for Sora to continue. 

Sora got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He knew Cloud and Squall did some banishing work on the side and wasn’t sure why he was so certain they were about to be pissed. He didn’t exactly know the process. 

“Dad was convinced there was a demon in the house and that it was possessing me so he called a priest and really exaggerated over what was going on at the time. They were going to perform an exorcism on me.” Sora paused when Squall’s expression went dark. He wasn’t even brave enough to look at Cloud. “The priest came and agreed that i was a danger. Mom wasn’t having it though. Told them i was fine and they were over reacting and if they didn’t like it, to get out. Dad left a week later.” 

Squall looked the very definition of unhappy. “How old were you?” 

“Ten.” 

“Maybe i misjudged your mother.” Cloud muttered. “First impressions and all…” 

Sora bit his lip and shrugged. “She just wasn’t willing to admit i’m anything but sick. She doesn’t believe i’m seeing anything. She treated me like i’m sick and i guess gets angry when people try to take advantage of that sickness?” 

He knew it didn’t look good but at least his mom cared. She might not listen or understand, but she cared. 

Squall was pinching the bridge of his nose and Cloud slid up behind him to lean against his back as if knowing he needed something to ground him. “How the fuck are you still alive? Why was no one actually taking care of you. With a mind like yours and with as abused as you were by malicious assholes like Xemnas, there had to have been signs.” 

Sora shrugged, feeling helpless. “I didn’t know there were others like me until i met Kairi. We didn’t know there were places we could go until we found Seventh Heaven.” 

Cloud squeezed Squall’s hip. “Makes you appreciate your eccentric dad who always believed you, right?” 

“Shut up.” Squall muttered. “Sora, look. Exorcism’s have their place. They are an incredible tool if used correctly. There are many, many priests who know what they’re doing and can handle that sort of thing. If one looked at you and agreed you needed an exorcism, they were a hack. You could have been so badly hurt. Oh my god, you could have been so hurt...” 

Riku’s arm around Sora tightened. “I know they can backfire, but not how.” 

Cloud nodded “When you perform an exorcism on a person who is not possessed, often nothing happens. There was nothing to purge. On a person like us, it could have affected Sora mentally. It would have latched onto his abilities and stunted them and, well, just Sora in general.” 

“I could have been a vegetable?” Sora frowned, wondering what kind of damage it really could have done to him. “Dodged that bullet i guess.” 

“Take this seriously, Sora.” Squall said, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him closer to hug, very odd behavior for him. “Don’t let someone take advantage of you.” 

Sora fidgeted and leaned against him. Squall had that same vibe that Cloud did. That towering wall of protection that left him feeling safe. He’d never had that before. 

“Okay…” 

Cloud tugged on Squall’s hair. “He’s fine, babe. Nothing wrong here.” 

Squall grunted but didn’t let go. Sora was sure he could feel something happening to his energy but he didn’t know what. More than one person had told him that Squall was the one to go to for those tricks. Energy manipulation was one of his specialties. It didn’t matter though, he trusted Squall, and did suddenly feel calmer. 

“None of that matters anymore.” Riku muttered. “You’re not alone anymore.” 

“Exactly.” Cloud said, pulling Squall away from the teen he unhappily released back to Riku. “We’ll be here when you need us.” 

“See, Sora.” Riku grinned. “New set of parents.” 

Sora went pink and laughed and what more could he do when both older psychic’s just rolled their eyes and didn’t… disagree. “I’ll take all the help i can get, thanks.” 

Riku pressed a kiss to Sora’s temple and he felt the faintest of tingles. Riku was reading him again, trying to determine if he was upset… “How about dinner then, mm? Little early but may as well.” 

“Kay.” Sora grinned suddenly. That was the change in subject he needed. “Oh, wait. My car, can you fix it?” 

Cloud shrugged. “About two hours ago, yeah. Was just tinkering after that.”

Sora blinked. “Oh...really?” 

“C’mon. I’m shoving in on your date. Let’s go eat.” Squall said, lacing his fingers with Clouds and not giving a damn about the small remains of grease.

“Really, guys?” Riku sighed, bemused but smiling.

"Really, lets go." Cloud smirked.

Sora grinned, always pleased to be around the older psychics. He could feel a gaze, his mother peeking out a window. She didn’t understand, but hopefully she could learn to like his friends. 

“Let me drop my bag off inside and yeah.” Sora smiled, knowing it wasn’t getting anything passed them. 

His mother was still his mother, he could at least tell her he was wandering off. He could ask Squall about the protection they’d wrapped around his house and see if they laughed at him for thinking about taking witch lessons from Naminé. 

Maybe if he was lucky they wouldn’t try to probe into his less than ideal childhood, but the looks passed between Squall and Cloud told him that wasn’t happening. 

Riku might have been right, they were trying to adopt him. Being accepted was nice. Being appreciated was better.


End file.
